The Space Force’s recent contract with aerospace firm Vantor to provide for better situational awareness in space highlights how even hybrid warfare is moving its way to the cosmos.
The United States Space Force is coming around to the fact that its vital, but vulnerable, satellites are under increased threat from counterspace attacks from America’s rivals. Notably, American satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO) are at risk of being attacked by co-orbital satellites belonging to enemy nations.
To better resist this threat, Space Force has awarded a contract to Vantor—formerly Maxar Intelligence—to use its existing satellite constellation for space environment monitoring.
The Space Force Gets Its Neighborhood Watch
They’re calling it “neighborhood watch,” and it is part of an entirely new paradigm the Space Force is instituting to better protect those critical satellites. Specifically, it is aimed at protecting satellites in that 99-1,200 miles above the Earth range (LEO). The contract with Vantor uses ten of the company’s satellites (seven capable of “space-to-space imagery” or non-Earth imagery) to identify and track potential threats to the US satellites in LEO.
All this began in response to the Space Force’s observation of China practicing “dogfighting” in space with their satellites. The Pentagon rightly assessed that the Chinese were demonstrating a capability to threaten American satellites with co-orbital systems against which there was little defense. That’s all changing with this new neighborhood watch program. And that change is a long time coming.
The Details of the Space Force’s New Satellite System
The technology gap between the United States and China has significantly narrowed, according to an assessment done by trade publication Defense One. The Vantor system is capable of imaging objects in LEO at “less than six-inch resolution” and has imaged objects as around 9.5 inches. The system can track across wide volumes of space and is moving toward automation. Vantor’s goal is for 1,000 non-Earth images per day, with many delivered in less time that it takes for a pizza to be delivered to your house.
As space becomes more crowded, the United States must adapt its space-situational awareness (SSA) and space domain awareness (SDA) capabilities. Satellites traditionally used for Earth imaging must embrace their new mission with alacrity: watching out for hostile rival satellites and tracking debris. Eventually, defense theorist Brian Chow’s concept of bodyguard co-orbital satellites will be required to further protect sensitive American satellite constellations—not just in LEO, but in medium Earth orbit (MEO) and geosynchronous orbit (GEO) as well.
Finally—and let us hope this is not a matter of being too late to the party—the United States is starting (still too slowly for my liking) to look at space as something more than a hinterland. It is at the frontline of global power. China and Russia reorganized their militaries to fight—and win—a space war (especially a counterspace war) over a decade ago. The Americans are just playing catch-up.
The Space Force Is Adapting for Hybrid Warfare
What’s more, the Vantor contract highlights how even hybrid warfare is moving its way to the cosmos. A key element of hybrid warfare is in the fusion of military and civilian functions. In this specific case, commercial satellites are being repurposed into defense and space-defense roles.
The Space Force is right to leverage commercial innovation to maintain an edge.
We are at the critical juncture in modern warfare when space becomes the centerpiece of all conflict. The satellites overhead are not just luxuries that make life easier for civilians and militaries alike. They are the pillars of America’s global military and economic dominance.
The moment these assets are lost, especially for a force like America’s, you lose the war. The contract with Vantor is, therefore, a smart tactical move. But we still need strategic clarity; massive investment, distributed architectures and a total mindset shift in our so-called leaders in Washington is required.
The next few years will determine whether America remains the dominant space power—or if space goes to China and its allies.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert is a senior national security editor at The National Interest. Recently, Weichert became the host of The National Security Hour on America Outloud News and iHeartRadio, where he discusses national security policy every Wednesday at 8pm Eastern. He is also a contributor at Popular Mechanics and has consulted regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including The Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, The Asia Times, and others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / Gorodenkoff.
